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Crime in USC area lessens
DPS reports 49 robberies thus year, a 6 percent decrease from the same time last year.
By KRISTIN MAYER
Staff Writer
Three robberies struck the area north of campus Saturday night, Sunday morning and Monday afternoon, bringing the total robbery count to 13 since classes began Aug. 22, said CpL Gloria Graham, captain of operations.
On Saturday, at 11:15 p.m., an individual walking by himself near Adams Boulevard and Menlo Avenue was approached by a suspect and asked what time it was, Graham said.
The suspect then showed the victim a gun and took his wallet.
Just over an hour later, at 12:30 a.m. Sunday, a suspect grabbed a female student’s purse from behind as she exited her car near 29th Street and EUendale Place, Graham said. The man then jumped into a car and joined two other suspects and drove off to the north.
The third robbery occurred at 3:20 p.m. Monday outside Century Apartments at Jefferson Boulevard and Orchard Avenue. A student saw someone trying to take his bike and threatened to call the police. The suspect then told the student that he should not call the police because he had a gun in his backpack.
"One thing that we’ve struggled with is we just got a lot of robberies in the Southwest area this past week," Graham said. “We knew that, and sent out a notice to our officers, but we still
had some activity.”
In response to the increased number of robberies reported by LAPD last week, DPS sent a notice to all its watches and moved around patrols to brace for a potential increase in robberies.
“We did notice that robberies started to pick up,” Graham said.
DPS will continue to focus on potential victims, such as students walking alone at night, by boosting its escort service.
‘You’re a prime target for robbery, walking with headphones on at 2:30 in the morning,” Graham said.
Less crime than last year
Crime statistics overall have decreased from last year, Graham said.
At this time in 2004, DPS reported 52 robberies year-to-date everywhere where DPS responds to calls. This year, that number is 49, a 6 percent decrease.
Four on-campus robberies have been reported year-to-date, a decrease from 16 last year.
“We’ve had a significant reduction in (the) two (on-campus) patrol areas," Graham said.
She added that very few robberies occur between Jefferson Boulevard and 29th Street, the location of Century and Cardinal Gardens apartments.
Beat Area D, the stretch of densely populated student housing between Vermont Avenue and Hoover Street, Jefferson Boulevard and Adams Boulevard, however, has given DPS the most trouble, Graham said.
“Where we’re seeing our biggest increase in robberies is where we’re seeing students moving," Graham said. She cited the area in Beat Area D north of 29th Street
Graham said DPS is responding to more calls and noise complaints from this area than ever before.
Robbery statistics from the area surrounded by the 110 Freeway, Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, Normandy I see Robberies page 14 I
“Where we re seeing our biggest increase in robberies is where were seeing students moving.
CAPT. GLORIA GRAHAM captain of operations Department of Public Safety
Coke truck breaks water pipe
Unexpected water flow.
A Coca Cola delivery truck ran into a sprinkler head in the North Residential College loading dock Wednesday morning, breaking the water pipe that supplies the sprinkler head, said Jeff Urdahl, executive director of USC Housing Services. The pipe has been repaired and is functioning again. No rooms suffered water damage. •
.dailytrojan.com
Planning, preparing for major quake the focus for Los Angeles
Geologists, officials agree that a major earthquake will eventually hit Los Angeles.
By STEVEN CHEN and JAMES R. KOREN
Staff Writers
Geologists, academics and emergency planning officials agree that a major earthquake — one with a magnitude of 7.5 or greater — could cause widespread damage through-
out Southern California.
In the wake of hurricanes Katrina and Rita, Americans have grown increasingly aware of federal, state and local government preparations for natural disasters.
Southern California is home to several major faults, including the San Andreas Fault system.
The question surrounding “the Big One" is when it will strike. Not if.
A matter of time
"We’re constantly building up
energy,” said James Dolan, an associate professor of earth sciences, about one of Southern California’s many faults. “Eventually it’s going to have to release its energy."
Experts agree that a large earthquake is an eventuality, not just a possibility.
“No one knows when or where it will happen. There is no difference of opinion in whether it will hit or not," said William Rukeyser, spokesperson for the Federal Emergency ! see Earthquakes )age 12
Student Newspaper of the University of Southern California Since 1912
September 29, 2005
INSIDE
Arizona State's Sam Keller is on a roll in his first year as starting QB. 20
RELIGION AND ETHICS
INDEX
Class guides students on reporting religious topics
• ftauttar Bote i Oarty Inm
Spreading knowMfi. Diane Winston, an associate professor of journalism, teaches a new class that discusses how to report the religious side of news.
Professor Diane Winston encourages students to be aware ofpeople's beliefs.
By JOANNA WU
Suff Writer
A female Muslim singer, a writer for The New York Times and an executive director for the Writers Guild of America sit together and talk about how religion plays a role in each of their fields. This is just another day in professor Diane Winston's religion and reporting class.
In ‘Sex. Hollywood, Politics and Science: An Introduction to Covering Religion." Winston guides students on how to report on the religious
angle of news stories.
The class combines guest speakers from different religious backgrounds with journalists who cover religion and field trips to places of worship. Winston encourages her students to be more informed about people’s beliefs.
"I really believe that no matter what beat people cover, religion is going to intersect it at some point, so that it’s important to understand the basics of different people's traditions and beliefs and why they do what they do." she said.
Winston is the Annenberg School for Communication's Knight Chair in Media and Religion. This fall is the second time Winston has taught this class, and this year the I tee M#m page IS
■■■
ft L
New exhibit ’drive by and reLAX’offers an innovative look at Los Angeles. 7
Government secrecy is a worsening problem. 4
News Digest..2 Sports_____SO
Upcoming_____2 Classifieds—M
Opinions_____4 Lifestyle___7
WEATHER
Today: Sunny. High of88, low of 61.
Tomorrow: Sunny. High 82 low 6a

Crime in USC area lessens
DPS reports 49 robberies thus year, a 6 percent decrease from the same time last year.
By KRISTIN MAYER
Staff Writer
Three robberies struck the area north of campus Saturday night, Sunday morning and Monday afternoon, bringing the total robbery count to 13 since classes began Aug. 22, said CpL Gloria Graham, captain of operations.
On Saturday, at 11:15 p.m., an individual walking by himself near Adams Boulevard and Menlo Avenue was approached by a suspect and asked what time it was, Graham said.
The suspect then showed the victim a gun and took his wallet.
Just over an hour later, at 12:30 a.m. Sunday, a suspect grabbed a female student’s purse from behind as she exited her car near 29th Street and EUendale Place, Graham said. The man then jumped into a car and joined two other suspects and drove off to the north.
The third robbery occurred at 3:20 p.m. Monday outside Century Apartments at Jefferson Boulevard and Orchard Avenue. A student saw someone trying to take his bike and threatened to call the police. The suspect then told the student that he should not call the police because he had a gun in his backpack.
"One thing that we’ve struggled with is we just got a lot of robberies in the Southwest area this past week," Graham said. “We knew that, and sent out a notice to our officers, but we still
had some activity.”
In response to the increased number of robberies reported by LAPD last week, DPS sent a notice to all its watches and moved around patrols to brace for a potential increase in robberies.
“We did notice that robberies started to pick up,” Graham said.
DPS will continue to focus on potential victims, such as students walking alone at night, by boosting its escort service.
‘You’re a prime target for robbery, walking with headphones on at 2:30 in the morning,” Graham said.
Less crime than last year
Crime statistics overall have decreased from last year, Graham said.
At this time in 2004, DPS reported 52 robberies year-to-date everywhere where DPS responds to calls. This year, that number is 49, a 6 percent decrease.
Four on-campus robberies have been reported year-to-date, a decrease from 16 last year.
“We’ve had a significant reduction in (the) two (on-campus) patrol areas," Graham said.
She added that very few robberies occur between Jefferson Boulevard and 29th Street, the location of Century and Cardinal Gardens apartments.
Beat Area D, the stretch of densely populated student housing between Vermont Avenue and Hoover Street, Jefferson Boulevard and Adams Boulevard, however, has given DPS the most trouble, Graham said.
“Where we’re seeing our biggest increase in robberies is where we’re seeing students moving," Graham said. She cited the area in Beat Area D north of 29th Street
Graham said DPS is responding to more calls and noise complaints from this area than ever before.
Robbery statistics from the area surrounded by the 110 Freeway, Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, Normandy I see Robberies page 14 I
“Where we re seeing our biggest increase in robberies is where were seeing students moving.
CAPT. GLORIA GRAHAM captain of operations Department of Public Safety
Coke truck breaks water pipe
Unexpected water flow.
A Coca Cola delivery truck ran into a sprinkler head in the North Residential College loading dock Wednesday morning, breaking the water pipe that supplies the sprinkler head, said Jeff Urdahl, executive director of USC Housing Services. The pipe has been repaired and is functioning again. No rooms suffered water damage. •
.dailytrojan.com
Planning, preparing for major quake the focus for Los Angeles
Geologists, officials agree that a major earthquake will eventually hit Los Angeles.
By STEVEN CHEN and JAMES R. KOREN
Staff Writers
Geologists, academics and emergency planning officials agree that a major earthquake — one with a magnitude of 7.5 or greater — could cause widespread damage through-
out Southern California.
In the wake of hurricanes Katrina and Rita, Americans have grown increasingly aware of federal, state and local government preparations for natural disasters.
Southern California is home to several major faults, including the San Andreas Fault system.
The question surrounding “the Big One" is when it will strike. Not if.
A matter of time
"We’re constantly building up
energy,” said James Dolan, an associate professor of earth sciences, about one of Southern California’s many faults. “Eventually it’s going to have to release its energy."
Experts agree that a large earthquake is an eventuality, not just a possibility.
“No one knows when or where it will happen. There is no difference of opinion in whether it will hit or not," said William Rukeyser, spokesperson for the Federal Emergency ! see Earthquakes )age 12
Student Newspaper of the University of Southern California Since 1912
September 29, 2005
INSIDE
Arizona State's Sam Keller is on a roll in his first year as starting QB. 20
RELIGION AND ETHICS
INDEX
Class guides students on reporting religious topics
• ftauttar Bote i Oarty Inm
Spreading knowMfi. Diane Winston, an associate professor of journalism, teaches a new class that discusses how to report the religious side of news.
Professor Diane Winston encourages students to be aware ofpeople's beliefs.
By JOANNA WU
Suff Writer
A female Muslim singer, a writer for The New York Times and an executive director for the Writers Guild of America sit together and talk about how religion plays a role in each of their fields. This is just another day in professor Diane Winston's religion and reporting class.
In ‘Sex. Hollywood, Politics and Science: An Introduction to Covering Religion." Winston guides students on how to report on the religious
angle of news stories.
The class combines guest speakers from different religious backgrounds with journalists who cover religion and field trips to places of worship. Winston encourages her students to be more informed about people’s beliefs.
"I really believe that no matter what beat people cover, religion is going to intersect it at some point, so that it’s important to understand the basics of different people's traditions and beliefs and why they do what they do." she said.
Winston is the Annenberg School for Communication's Knight Chair in Media and Religion. This fall is the second time Winston has taught this class, and this year the I tee M#m page IS
■■■
ft L
New exhibit ’drive by and reLAX’offers an innovative look at Los Angeles. 7
Government secrecy is a worsening problem. 4
News Digest..2 Sports_____SO
Upcoming_____2 Classifieds—M
Opinions_____4 Lifestyle___7
WEATHER
Today: Sunny. High of88, low of 61.
Tomorrow: Sunny. High 82 low 6a